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Who Pays for the Wedding Bands?

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The times they are a-changing, someone once said. And they are changing at a faster pace today than ever before. Paying for any aspect of a wedding, from the engagement to the day itself, was always organized along pretty well-defined lines. The man would buy the engagement ring and prose, the bride's parents would pay for the wedding and everything that goes with it, and that was about it. Now, things are very different. Couples often contribute to their own wedding, or the groom's parents may opt to pay for one or more elements of the day. But, in amongst all this, the wedding bands can get kind of lost. Not that it's ever a last-minute thing, of course, because it isn't. But if someone asks you who should buy the wedding bands, it's a question that needs more thought than most. Wedding Band Traditions For a long time, each "side" would buy the wedding band for the other. That is, the bride's parents would pay for the groom's band, and the groom

Most Expensive Jewelry

Precious and semi-precious stones are known for their beauty and their rarity. In most cases, a combination of those two things accounts for the value of a single stone. But the pricing curve isn't always as smooth and predictable as you might think. Despite its ubiquitous nature, diamonds are neither the rarest nor the most expensive precious stone available. In fact, they are at the lower end in many cases, relatively speaking. Gemstones And Their Values When we talk about any gemstone's value it is, at least in part, subjective. We have the 4Cs of clarity, cut, color and carat weight for diamonds, and these also apply to a lesser or equal degree for other stones. The problem is that not all gemstones are judged the same way. Rubies, for instance, are judged primarily on their color. A deep red is what makes the best rubies and, assuming the cut is of high quality, any naturally occurring inclusions are tolerated. Compare this to diamond grading, where any flaw or inclusi

Should Men Wear An Engagement Ring?

We've had manspreading and mansplaining , and now we've got the man-gagement. Engagement rings have always been almost exclusively worn by women. Certainly in modern times, at least. Now, more and more men are choosing to wear rings themselves. Although the practice had been ongoing for a while, it was Ed Sheerhan 's decision to wear an engagement ring which brought the subject into the mainstream media. Why The Sudden Change? It's difficult to know why some men are choosing to wear engagement rings . It may well be that they simply wish to demonstrate their commitment to the relationship. In Ancient Rome, an engagement ring on a woman's finger showed that she was "taken", and therefore off limits for other men. Whilst the point of the engagement ring has changed, very much for the better, the wearing of one remained a woman-only practice. There's absolutely no reason, of course, why men shouldn't wear engagement rings. Rings are no more a